Guttergrass was formed by husband and wife Randall Alan Stewart and Amanda Anne Sheehan shortly after their marriage in October 2001, when he and Amanda began singing harmonies on the way home from seeing "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?". Their first performances were at open-mics in Columbus, GA through March of 2004 when the couple moved to Birmingham, AL seeking other musicians to form a full band.
The couples first appearance in The Magic City was at Marty's, that Spring, when invited to perform a set break for The Lazybirds. Shortly after, they began playing with some top musicians in Birmingham, drawing large crowds at their shows and even winning the one and only "Band Contest" at the Acoustic Cafe, Memorial Day weekend, 2005. The couple separated and divorced abruptly in February 2006 and without Amanda's voice, Randall decided put Guttergrass to rest and pursue a solo career. The Guttergrass name, however, does live on through his production/artist developement company, guttergrassmusic, carrying on the spirit of the band's love of making many kinds of music with many kinds of musicians, always seeking a tasty new musical brew to dish out at the next show.
Many say they heard some of the best "High Lonesome" harmonies they ever laid ears on when they heard Guttergrass perform. Those harmonies inspired many musicians and put big grins on many faces, but the true blessing of Guttergrass was their message of hope, faith, peace, and loving kindness.
Many thanks and much love to those who supported and appreciated Guttergrass and it's special flavor of Gospel Bluegrass music, with just a twist of rock.
God Bless the Music, always...
